Illinois bill would establish car hotline for law enforcement

QUINCY (WGEM) - Local police need all the information ready and available to them to help them find stolen cars or cars used in crimes.

Illinois HB 2245 would establish a 24/7 vehicle hotline to help provide police information on a car which has been hijacked or used in a violent crime.

Quincy Police Department Deputy Chief Michael Tyler said currently they can request information on the vehicle and even tracking location from manufacturers if the car has a system like OnStar or GPS. He said the 24/7 hotline will be a big help for law enforcement, as it can get them important information about the vehicle quicker.

“We could easily call those local authorities wherever that is and we would know about where the vehicle is either heading or where it’s at right then and at that location and send resources out there,” Tyler said.

He said there have been incidents in the past, such as shootings or vehicle thefts, which happened in Quincy where the hotline would have been useful

Lafe Gooding, the owner of Mr. Deals Auto Center, said this is a great addition and way to help people.

He said if a police are looking for information in regards to a vehicle which was stolen or used in a crime, they provide them information such as the VIN Number, pictures of the car, and other details to help them, anything extra would require a warrant. He said the hotline can help provide extra means to assist law enforcement, especially if its at night.

“Anything that anybody can do to help prevent theft and all that kind of stuff, the dealer should be responsible and help them out as best they can,” he said. “Everything we sell, as long as their not too old, we always take pictures of the cars and post them online and fits the whole entire description of the cars.”

Gooding said for some older vehicles before 2015, they might not have GPS tracking in them, which can make things difficult for law enforcement if they use the hotline and want to track it.

The Bill has passed both house and senate and awaits the governors signature.

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